Elena and Maysa- Birthdays!

Well it has been too long since my last post. As usual. I know I took pictures at christmas time but can't find them to save my life. I guess thats why I should Blog more often! Elena turned 13 in January, she took her friends ice skating and to the mall to try the bungee trampoline.

 





Teenagers love the mall!  We had a fun day skating, shopping and bungeeing!

For Maysa's party, we had a princess picnic and pinata party.



Here is our little rascal six years old!

This was a hard pinata to break, when it finally did, Dan had to dump out some of it stuck in the belly, the girls just laughed and laughed, it was such a blast!

2012 Family Pictures

...........Aaaaand those ones that didnt quite make the cut.......

not a great picture to end on, I think by this point we were all smiled out.
Fun times......and stressful, very stressful, glad that picture time only comes around once a year!

December Fun

This month went by real fast. Christmas has come and gone. The rollerblades were a hit. The girls just can't get enough of them. Even Maysa rode all the way to park with no help. Thats why we love Arizona, crystal clear and wonderfully warm weather, even on Christmas day.

Jayden and Jasper just love being read to. They would be happy to do that all day if only we could!

OUr anniversary also came and went. I think we determined 14 years. 14 lovely and crazy and fun years. We went to our favorite restaurant Eva's. There are 18 roses in this bouquet, you just can't see the pink ones behind the red.

You would think we live at the zoo. But we don't. We have a season pass so we go all the time, especially when Grandma Lene comes to visit. She sure loved riding the camel and afterwards, she scratched the Camels ears and neck for a while, he really liked that. They are fun and gentle creatures.

Stingray Bay is always a must, we go everytime.

The Zoo........ Again....

I could never get enough of the zoo. We have a pass and go every holiday. The girls complain and say, What! We're going to the zoo again, the zoo is boring!" But they always have so much fun and we always do something different every time we go. And what about all the test subjects for my new camera.... ?!

THis poor little goat was hiding under a barrel when Jayden was desperatley trying to pet him. My theory is this: when a poor little goat at a petting zoo gets pinched, poked, prodded, kicked, slapped and hit day after day after day, by hundreds of kids, every minute of the day, the poor little goat reverts to hiding in barrels... can you blame him. :)

I love this little fountain in the "Forest of Uco". When the kids were splashing around another little 2 yr old from a nearby group came by and stuck his hand in. His mom came running quick and say "No no, we don't put our hands in the yucky water." And here I was standing there taking pictures. Didn't exactly feel like the mom of the year, but I like to think I have thick skin. In one ear, out the other!

Isn't this a pretty door!

These next pictures are compliments of Sierra, she simply begged and begged to handle my new camera so I let her have a go at it.

Good job Sierra!, ELena did not like her picture, but we teased her that she was striking a model pose... ha ha

We finished off the day at stingray bay and of course our traditional ride on the carosel. SIerra and Maysa beg and beg every time we go to the zoo to ride the carosel. It makes them so joyous, I just have to give in... :)

These stingrays are so much fun, the girls would stay and pet them for hours if I'd let them.